Petition to High Court seeks Tk 30m in compensation for schoolboy’s death for ferry delay

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking an order on the authorities to pay Tk 30 million in compensation to the family of a school student who died in the ambulance as the authority delayed the departure of a ferry at Khathalbari jetty in Madaripur for three hours.

The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader will hear the petition, submitted by Legal Support and People's Rights Chairman and Supreme Court lawyer Md Zahir Uddin Limon on Tuesday.

“We told the court to investigate the incident, to compensate the family and to ensure ambulance movement on the roads and ferry gates on the highest priority,” said the lawyer.

The family of schoolboy Titas Ghose alleged that the ferry was anchored at the jetty for three hours on Thursday night waiting for a government official who was later identified as Joint Secretary Md Abdus Sabur Mondal working for a2i or the Access to Information.

On Monday, the shipping ministry formed a two-member panel headed by Joint Secretary Shahnowas Dilruba Khan to investigate the death of the student and asked it to submit the probe report to the ministry in seven days.

Madaripur DC Wahidul Islam formed another four-member probe panel headed by Additional District Magistrate Shahidul Haque Patwary and asked it to submit the report within a week.